The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-03-05
Correspondence Baltimore County Onion.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
rHr COLD ZONE OF BOILER FIRES

THE COLD ZONE OF BOILER FIRES.
A piece of paper pasted on boiler over the
fre-box does mot become charred. 1t occupies
what Mr.. Thos. Fletcher, of Warrington, Eng,
calls the sscold zone," or space of unaccountable
low temperature on the surface of metal having
water behind it. Mr.. Fletcher discards the or
binary theory that the phenomenon is due to the
rapid absorption of heat by, the water. His ex-
periments thus far have convinced him that this
cool space whose thickness is that of the thickest
uaner remaining uncharred, is absolutely impass-
able by name ana q nfgn degree Of radiant heat,
even the utmost power of the blow pipe serving
but to reduce and not annihilate it, and that, as
consequence, only a small part of the heat is per-
mitted to reach the water. 1t has no effect how
ever, in stopping the heat conducted through 1t
by solids, and wire passing through the flame
quickly burns the paper which the fire had left
untouched. These observations naturally sug
gested the use boilers of metal studs OF suffi'
Gent length to come in contact with the flame, and
on boilers so constructed it is claimed that won
derful increase in the steam generated has been
obtained.
TEE On ANGLING CALCULATION.
Starting with the idea that the hand varies
considerably in size with the quantity of blood
present in it at any moment, Prof. Mosso, the
Italian Psychologist has made some most interest
ing Investigations. In his first experiments the
hand was placed in o closed vessel of water, when
the change in the circulation produced by the
slightest action of body or brain,the smallest
thought or movement, was shown by rise or fall
in the LIQUID in the narrow neck OF the vessel.
With n large balance on which the horizontal
human body may be literally weighed, and that
even dreams or the effect ola slight sound during
slumbsB turn the blood to the brain sufficiently
10 cause the balance to fall at the head. When
the brain Of the person balanced is being relaxed
from thought the how Is toward the feet, with
corresponding oscillation. The investigator has
continued his studies Of the circulation until II
seems tia. he may almost read ones thoughts and
sensations. A single pulse beat shows him wheth-
or A person is fasting or not two beats serve 70
determine whether the subject IL thinking OF
hssiless one. uhsthsr asleep o. awake, cold OF
uarm. agitatsd or calm. The changing pulse
even told hin vhen . professional Trend Sas
reading Itsiian and shsn Greek, the grsaief e.
fort &c tAs later kaving das eject On me o'eod'
SOC rnsKsSs FLasEs car uAFEn.
In ths ana regions d Egypt frsueh botanist,
n. VoIkuas. As lound root tssnty tinss ~ long
A. IA rari u De piant shore the sariass. %
sons u thess desert plants ne sane observer las
nstisei ssFy surisus meisture- ab.oFe,ng con
uisenss. Glasdular hairs PAT iorth ~ ne leaves
Yisll bisssr ory slAlins liqaid which spreads eat
- nlsht sni ssilssis lhs dee.
IT, t.ck q eaassaienf and e lnouIicai poser
A. III lnIastrias : often isli, neither water,
sissm nsr sisstficify secnng % meet the require
msnis. The attempts now bsing made % distfib
uis poser ~ Farsasd AIR IN Paris and By con
pssssad air ia Blrming han have m1eh interest
Ia eaeh ease, esntral Pa1piag stations, stth
stsam- poser, suppiy the requisite energy. The
sucssss q these - stems remains 10 be sheSn-
A ekLE's LIFE- EIsr0Rr.
A scienfiae ascount 81 the great gale which
suept ever the British Isles in October has been
subnuitted 10 the Royal Meteorological socley oy
NJ. c. Harding. The storm appears 10 have
foFmsd about 80 miles southeast q SewIoona-
s s rsss s s:Ssutb sssPe rs saIE Se
esntraI over the British Isles about thiriy-four
hoars, then crossed 10 France, and subsequently
again took q northeast course, finally breaking
Nd over Holland. The depression OF the barome-
a. continued for an extraordinary length of time,
the reading being below twenty nine inches Tor
fffy hours at GeldestOn. The highest recorded
rate of the wind was seventy eight miles an hour
at Scilly where the velocity remained above sixty
miles for nineteen hours, and above thirty miles
for sixty-one hours. The rainfall in Ireland,
Wales and southwestern England was exception
ally heavy, and terrific sea dashed the western
coasts.
BRITISH popULARIzATIoN OF SCIENCE
AaWesleyan scientific society has been or
ganized in England under the presidency of Rev.
". Fl. Dallinger, F. R. S. Its objects are the en-
enlargement of practical scientific work among
amateurs, the guidance of beginners in the study
of natural history, the interchange of opinions
unon scientific questions, and the collection and
circulation of useful facts bearing upon sciences
in general. Similar work is being done in this
country by the "Agassiz Association" which
already claims over 10, 900 members. Each society
expects soon to have its own monthly Journal
MISCELLANEOUS
A novel museum is being established by DR.
GuiIbeau, blind professor in Paris institution
for the blind His collection comprises articles
speclaaly fvE the of the eightiess, and
is already quite valuable. 1t includes very
complete display of the various kinds of letters
which have been used for reading by touch.
A case was lately reported to the New York
Pathological Society of negro child, which lived
but two months, with only one iung-the left, the
other being rudimentary and never inflated The
heart had only one auricle and one ventricie-
both the left.
The museum at Boulak, in Egypt, contains
what has been called the oldest picture in the
world-a fresco from tomb at Maydoom repre-
senting six geese.
The decline Of the silk industry in India, for
which various causes have been assigned, has at
length been proven by Mr.. Wood Mason, an Eng
lsh naturalist, to be due toa destructive parasitic
disease of the worms. The affection seems to be
identical with "pebrine," which ravaged French
silkworm nurseries from 1S49 to 1865, and was
eradicated in Europe by the discoveries of Pasteur
A boat has been successfully propelled on the
Seine BY means Of artificial wings acting on the